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Information on the
Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group

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Mission Statement
Group Information
Awards, Projects, Funding
Members & Supporters of NSWG
  Mission Statement
The mission of the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group is to identify and promote winegrowing practices that are economically viable, socially responsible, and environmentally sound. Specifically, the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group promotes viticultural land stewardship through educational outreach to:
  • optimize ecological stability and winegrape productivity and quality by understanding and emulating natural processes such as biodiversity, carbon and nutrient cycling, and plant-soil interactions.
  • reduce pesticide inputs through cultural practices, biological control, and use of alternative materials.
  • promote soil health through erosion control, reduced tillage, soil analysis, and the amendment of soils with cover crops and compost.
  • enhance returns on investment by promoting the value-added nature of sustainable winegrapes along with terroir and increased vineyard longevity.
The group is comprised of members representing Napa winegrape growers, vintners, and local government and educational organizations. It was formed in October 1995, to identify and promote integrated pest management practices in Napa County, California.


  Group Information
The Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group represents over 25,000 acres of farmed vineyard land and over 20,000 acres of un-farmed/wild land as of March 2007.

NSWG is committed to be non-biased and non-political. Members are required to participate in monthly meetings and in community outreach programs, such as workshops, NSWG's annual fundraisers, or other local events. All publications of the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group are exclusively educational. With the understanding that each property and its challenges are site specific, the group does not suggest specific measures of controlling certain problems. Instead, workshops are designed to offer a wide variety of ideas and measures, allowing the grower to pick the best solution for his or her situation. Some NSWG members were also involved in the creation and implementation of a local watershed wide program, called the Fish Friendly Farming for Napa County. This program has established voluntary environmentally friendly watershed management guidelines for local grapegrowers to allow businesses to market their product as a sustainable product.

The Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group continues its mission to educate the local farming and non-farming community on sustainable farming practices and good watershed management as long as funding sources will make it possible.

The Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group meets the second Tuesday of each month, from 9AM-11AM. Please contact Astrid Bock-Foster at 707-252-4188 x113 or at nswg@naparcd.org for the meeting location.


  Awards, Projects, Funding
In September of 2004, the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group was awarded the "Integrated Pest Management Innovator Award" from the California Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-Department of Pesticide Regulation.

In February 2002, The Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group published the book "Vineyards in the Watershed: Sustainable Winegrowing in Napa County." The book, written by Juliane Poirier Locke, is suitable for the farming and non-farming community and aims to inform the reader of sustainable farming practices used by local farmers in Napa County. The book's goal is to increase public awareness, to instill respect for farmers who are trying to do the "right thing" and to trigger a curiosity in farmers to venture into areas of sustainability that they have not tried before. "Vineyards in the Watershed-Sustainable Winegrowing in Napa County" does not glorify the grapegrowing industry, but presents case studies of local growers, their challenges, defeats and successes, in growing grapes economically feasible, socially responsible, and environmentally sound, while protecting or even improving the health of the Napa River Watershed. Since its publication the book has been distributed as far as England and Australia, spreading the word and usage of sustainable farming techniques beyond county borders.

From 1998 through 2001, the primary funding source of the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group was the USDA-NRCSs Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Since then NSWG's primary funding comes from their annual fundraiser "Celebrate Sustainability". The annual event features a silent auction, a gourmet buffett prepared from sustainably farmed produce, a wine tasting from over 20 local wineries featuring their wines produced from sustainably farmed grapes, live music and local agencies demonstration local watershed protection efforts. All funds raised are directly returned to the community by educating local Spanish and English speaking grapegrowers on sustainable farming practices through the means of workshops and educational materials.

In 1996, the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group was awarded a grant from the California Environmental Protection Agency's Department of Pesticide Regulation to develop a user friendly guide book on sustainable winegrowing practices in Napa County, drawing largely on local experience. In 1997, the group completed and published the "Integrated Pest Management Field Handbook for Napa County".

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